/linkages/journal/ Volume 6 Number 7 1 July 2001 Published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) The PDF (formatted and printable with wall calendar) version is available at: http://enb.iisd.org/journal/link0607e.pdf ( The following is the ASCII version of Vol. 6 No. 7 of /linkages/journal/ - a monthly snapshot of the Linkages WWW site, available at http://enb.iisd.org. /linkages/journal/ may not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or service without specific permission from the International Institute for Sustainable Development info@iisd.ca. This limitation includes distribution via Usenet News, bulletin board systems, mailing lists, print media and broadcast. For more information, send a message to malena@iisd.org Linkages Journal offers the latest news, information and analysis from international environment and development negotiations. The July 2001 issue of Linkages Journal includes: * media reports and news, including the latest on climate change; * briefings on key meetings held in June 2001, including the Open-Ended Informal High Level Consultations on Climate Change convened by COP-6 President Jan Pronk from 27-28 June, and the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS; * details of new journal articles, books and online reports; * a comprehensive list of upcoming meetings. Please note that the next issue of Linkages Journal will be published on 1 September. ) EDITOR'S NOTE A message from Linkages Journal's Editor CLIMATE COUNTDOWN Hague talks set stage for COP-6bis In recent days the media has been focusing on last minute climate change negotiations convened in The Hague late June ahead of COP- 6bis in July (see page four). The discussions, led by COP-6 President Jan Pronk, provided a final informal chance for Parties to discuss possible compromises following the US administration's rejection of the Kyoto Protocol, which has been the subject of international negotiations for many years. The latest talks followed US President Bush's summit with EU leaders two weeks earlier (see page eight), at which global warming was high on the agenda. At this meeting, the EU and the US "agreed to disagree" on the issue, both sides maintaining their positions for and against ratification of the Protocol. With COP-6bis now just two weeks away, however, many commentators remain skeptical that ongoing efforts to reach an agreement acceptable to all Parties can succeed. UN conference sets AIDS targets Another key event in late June was the UN's three-day special session on HIV/AIDS (see page three). The conference, which generated considerable public and media interest, appears to have galvanized international consensus on the need for action to tackle this disease. After lengthy and often difficult negotiations, participants agreed to text that sets out a commitment to reaching a target of overall annual spending on HIV/AIDS of US$ 7-10 billion, and to developing and implementing multi-sectoral national strategies and financing plans for combating HIV/AIDS, as well as to integrating HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment into mainstream development planning. Delegates expressed their support for the establishment of an HIV/AIDS Fund and the launching of a worldwide fundraising campaign to contribute to it. High-level meetings draw protesters Meanwhile, mid-June meetings of the European Council and the US-EU Summit elicited a frosty reception in some quarters, with crowds of protesters demonstrating against globalization, as well as what they perceive to be a less democratic EU. These violent scenes have raised fears among organizers of the G-8 summit scheduled to take place in Genoa in late July, where larger crowds of demonstrators are expected. Organizers' concerns also seem to be shared by many moderate, non-violent protest groups, who worry that such angry scenes detract from what they consider to be their important - but peaceful - messages to decision-makers. Linkages Journal's brief holiday hiatus Although the next few weeks will continue to be busy for many in the negotiating world, the pace of meetings seems set to slacken slightly from late July through to early September, in recognition of the northern hemisphere summer holiday period. The next issue of Linkages Journal covering all the key meetings and events in the field of environment and development during this period will be published on 1 September. As always, we'll be providing information and analysis on all major developments, so you can keep up-to-date and informed. New events are also posted daily on our website, which can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/journal/index.html Malena Sell Editor, Linkages Journal RECENT MEETINGS Information on recent conferences, workshops and symposia in the field of environment and development negotiations SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON HIV/AIDS: This General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS was held from 25-27 June 2001 at UN Headquarters in New York. The purpose of the meeting was to secure a global commitment to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to follow up on the Millennium Declaration commitment of halting and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015. The overall themes of the special session were: HIV/AIDS prevention and care; HIV/AIDS and human rights; the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS and strengthening national capacities to combat the disease; and international funding and cooperation. The special session included four interactive roundtables, and HIV/AIDS in Africa served as a cross-cutting theme. Delegates considered a report of the Secretary-General on HIV/AIDS examining the spread of the epidemic and reviewing its impacts and the establishment of a special fund on HIV/AIDS. Issues addressed during the three-day session included access to affordable drugs; the link between care, treatment and prevention; the relationship between poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS; the need for broad societal participation in initiatives to combat the disease; the end to stigmatization, discrimination and the culture of silence with regard to HIV/AIDS; and the importance of mainstreaming gender and human rights issues in AIDS-related policies and programmes. The Special Session concluded with the adoption of a Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. The Declaration contains, inter alia, a commitment to reaching a target of overall annual spending on HIV/AIDS of US$ 7-10 billion. Delegates also supported the establishment of an HIV/AIDS Fund and the launching of a worldwide fundraising campaign to contribute to it. They made further commitments to developing and implementing multi-sectoral national strategies and financing plans for combating HIV/AIDS, and to integrating HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment into mainstream development planning. More information on this meeting is available online at: http://www.un.org/ga/aids/ http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/aids22.doc.htm and http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/ga9888.doc.htm EUROPEAN COUNCIL GOTHENBURG SUMMIT: The European Council met for its annual Summit from 15-16 June 2001 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Summit, which took place at the end of the Swedish EU Presidency, focused on a number of issues, including EU enlargement, the environment and sustainable development. On matters related to the environment and sustainable development, the Council considered five common positions and four conclusions adopted by the EU Environment Council on 8 June. These included common positions on the Sixth Environmental Action Programme, electronic waste, chemical discharges to water, and public access to environmental information, as well as conclusions on the European chemical strategy, climate change and the Kyoto Protocol. Preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development being held in Johannesburg in 2002 were also considered. The Council adopted the first EU Sustainable Development Strategy, which provides environmental policy objectives and principles focusing on climate change, public health, transport and natural resource management, without setting specific targets and dates for implementation. Under this Strategy, which is being developed ahead of the Johannesburg Summit, Member States are to develop their own national sustainability plans and conduct sustainability impact assessments. More information on this meeting is available online at: http://www.eu2001.se/static/eng/eusummit/goteborg_1.asp http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1391000/13919 80.stm Arctic Council Regional Conference on the TENTH anniversary of the arctic environmental protection strategy: This event, which highlighted ten years of Arctic cooperation, was held on 11 June 2001 in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland. The conference was organized by the Arctic Council, which constitutes all Arctic countries - Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States - as Members, and with Arctic indigenous peoples participating in its work on a permanent basis. Conclusions from this conference will serve as a springboard for preparations for Arctic input to the Johannesburg Summit in 2002. Notable outcomes included a plan for Arctic states to encourage public-private sector dialogue on utilizing natural resources in the region in an environmentally sustainable manner. The Arctic Council also launched a project to assess the environmental, social and economic consequences of climate variability and to study the change and effects of increased UV and UVB radiation in the Arctic. Arctic countries noted the threat of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals to the region. The Council expressed its intent to support developing countries in their efforts to eliminate or reduce production and/or use of POPs and reduce the harmful effects of heavy metals on nature and human health. More information on the meeting is available online at: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/web_pages/rovaniemi_outcome.htm http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/web_pages/arctic_council_regiona l_conference.htm Information on the Arctic Council is available at: http://www.arctic-council.org PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON CHILDREN: The third session of the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the UN General Assembly for the follow-up to the 1990 World Summit for Children was held from 11-16 June 2001 at UN Headquarters in New York. Delegates considered the Secretary-General's report, We the Children: End- decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children, which contains national reviews from 135 countries on meeting the 1990 World Summit goals. Participants at the Preparatory Committee aimed to finalize the organizational arrangements and to conclude the draft outcome document for the Special Session. However, the meeting was suspended on 16 June without achieving consensus on the draft outcome document. The Committee is now expected to resume in July or August at a date to be announced. The Special Session will be held from 19-21 September in New York. More information on this meeting is available online at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/hr4536.doc.htm and http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/hr4545.doc.htm 2002 WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT EMINENT PERSONS' ROUNDTABLE: The Europe and North America Eminent Persons' Roundtable was held in Vail, Colorado, from 6-8 June 2001. The first of a number of regional Eminent Persons' Roundtables scheduled for the coming months, this meeting was organized by the UN in collaboration with the Center for Resource Management and attended by approximately 25 eminent independent experts. Participants aimed to elaborate practical proposals and suggest innovative approaches to advance the sustainable development agenda at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. The Roundtable also sought to draw attention to the need to revive a high-level political commitment to the issue of sustainable development. Participants considered consumption patterns, energy use and relations with developing countries, and a special panel convened on the role of media in promoting sustainable development in Europe and North America. More information on this meeting is available online at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/envdev584.doc.htm Fifth Session of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development: The fifth session of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) was held from 28 May to 1 June 2001 at UN Headquarters in New York. Delegates considered the UN Secretary-General's report on National Capacity-building in Biotechnology. The topic constitutes the CSTD's main substantive theme during its inter-sessional period 1999-2001. The CSTD, which was established in 1992 as a functional commission of the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), formulates recommendations and guidelines on science and technology within the UN system. Delegates recognized the significant potential of biotechnology to support national efforts towards achieving food security, health, environmental sustainability and increased competitiveness. They acknowledged possible negative impacts on the environment and human health, as well as socio-economic and ethical concerns. They further stressed the need for enhanced access to information and knowledge in order to facilitate acquisition, development and diffusion of biotechnology, including in developing countries. The CSTD recognized the difficulties of establishing a global regulatory framework for biotechnology due to the differing levels of technological capacity and development, and the wide variation in socio-economic and cultural concerns between countries. More information on this meeting is available online at: http://www.unctad.org/en/special/ecn16nos5.htm. CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT MEETING OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP OF THE BASEL CONVENTION: The technical working group (TWG) of the Basel Convention convened in Geneva from 18-20 June 2001 to refine technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of hazardous waste. New drafts were introduced relating to used lead acid batteries, recycling of metal and metal compounds and plastic wastes and their disposal. Technical guidelines on plastic wastes were almost completed and are scheduled for adoption during the next TWG session. Jim Willis, Director of UNEP Chemicals, briefed the TWG on the outcome of the Stockholm Persistent Organic Pollution (POPs) Convention in May 2001, emphasizing the need for close cooperation between the Stockholm and Basel Conventions and indicating the willingness of the POPs Convention to participate in helping the TWG develop guidelines on managing POPs as wastes. Participants also focused on finalizing technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of ship-dismantling for adoption by parties to the Basel Convention in 2002. According to UNEP, decommissioning large vessels may involve removing many tons of hazardous wastes, including POPs, mercury, lead and asbestos, thereby potentially impacting local communities, workers, biodiversity, groundwater and air quality. The 89-page technical guidelines contain detailed procedures for how to dismantle obsolete ships, identify potential contaminants, prevent the release of toxics and respond to emergencies and accidents. In addition, the guidelines address design, construction and operation of ship-dismantling facilities. The press release and daily reports of this meeting are available at: http://www.unep.ch/basel/press/Press.PDF and http://www.basel.int CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERE INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS ON CLIMATE CHANGE: Open-Ended Informal High Level Consultations chaired by UNFCCC COP-6 President Jan Pronk (the Netherlands) were held at the Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel in Scheveningen, near The Hague, the Netherlands from 27-28 June 2001. Between 350 and 370 delegates from between 115 and 130 Parties participated, including a number of ministers and deputy ministers.The aim of the Consultations was to permit Parties to present to the COP-6 President their views on his new proposed consolidated negotiating text, and in particular for Parties to indicate whether these texts constituted a balanced package with sufficient "wins" for all Parties, as well as to allow Parties to provide recommendations regarding the organization of work during the resumed COP-6, scheduled for 16-27 July in Bonn. The Parties met in two Plenary sessions each day, preceded and followed by meetings of and between the negotiating groups. All meetings during the Consultations were closed to NGOs and press. In contrast to the High Level Informal Consultations held by President Pronk in New York on 20-21 April 2001, however, the Consultations in Scheveningen were open to all Parties to attend. The Consultations were preceded by two days of preparatory consultations of the G-77/China, and one day of consultations of Annex I Parties. Following the Consultations, a press briefing by President Pronk was held on Thursday evening at 8.30 pm. On Wednesday, participants heard general statements addressing Parties' views on the new consolidated negotiating text in the morning, and continued to discuss financial issues, in particular those relating to adaptation, technology transfer, capacity building and Convention Article 4.8 and 4.9 (adverse effects), during the remainder of the day. On Thursday, Parties discussed mechanisms, LULUCF, compliance and governance. Discussions on procedural matters during COP-6bis in Bonn took place throughout the Consultations, with diverging views being expressed, and culminated in a COP Bureau meeting late on Thursday to resolve the structure for the July meetings. While some participants expressed the opinion that it did not appear that positions had shifted since COP-6 in The Hague last year, others underscored that positions had possibly widened, and there were signs of entrenchment by some Parties, in particular on the subjects of LULUCF, sinks in the CDM and the use of nuclear power to meet commitments. Concern was expressed over the lack of consensus and hardened positions on LULUCF, with certain Latin American Parties and members of the Umbrella Group in support of certain parts of Pronk's proposed text on this issue, and others, including the EU and other G-77/China Parties, opposed to it. The funding issue also appears to be a potential barrier that could create problems in Bonn. Further rumblings were caused by Japan's ambiguity regarding their intentions for ratifying the Protocol, although President Pronk confirmed that no Parties had stated that they would follow the US and reject the Protocol. Participants also expressed hope that President Pronk would take a stronger leadership role, and provide more guidance, rather than encouraging excessive discussion among Parties on difficult subjects. In the press briefing, President Pronk said that much remained to be done on a political level before agreement would be reached, and stressed the wide distance between positions on several issues. A detailed IISD Reporting Services Briefing Note on these talks is available online at: http://enb.iisd.org UNEP expert workshop on land and climate: This meeting was held from 7-8 June 2001 at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Participants included experts from the IPCC, FAO, UNEP, UNCCD, Centers under the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the Indian Center for Ecological Sciences, the African Centre for Technology Studies and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. They met to exchange experiences, initiate closer cooperation in addressing global land-climate linkages, evaluate existing science and policy strategies in this regard, and develop joint activities to promote the focused and efficient integration of science in policy development for the land and climate link. Participants heard presentations and convened in working groups to discuss key land-climate issues. As an outcome of the workshop, recommendations were made to: undertake a series of climate change assessments at sub-regional and regional scales to assess impacts and vulnerability, and adaptation and mitigation strategies complementary to the global IPCC assessments; involve policy makers at the design stage of these assessments to encourage their ownership of policy development; enhance regional and sub-regional dissemination of assessment information in a series of follow-up workshops focused on regional needs in terms of food security, sustainable development and environmental integrity; support science/policy capacities, and enhance cooperation of international and regional science and policy institutions; and increase the engagement of the UNEP-led World Climate Impact Research Programme (WCIRP) in cooperation with key centers for the land and climate link. For more information contact: Jens Mackensen, UNEP Division of Policy Development and Law, tel: +254- 262-3283. FORESTS FIRST SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS: The first session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-1) took place from 11-23 June 2001 at UN Headquarters in New York. Over the course of the two-week meeting, delegates discussed and adopted decisions on the UNFF's multi-year programme of work, the Plan of Action for the implementation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests' and Intergovernmental Forum on Forests' proposals for action, and the initiation of the UNFF's work with the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. Delegates also adopted a statement on the programme budget implications of the multi-year programme of work and decided on the date, venue and provisional agenda of UNFF-2. In its first week, UNFF-1 focused largely on procedural issues and organizational matters. During the second week, delegates worked long hours in an effort to resolve the outstanding contentious issues, such as the multi-year programme of work. UNFF-1 finally completed its work on Saturday, 23 June 2001, almost 24 hours after it had been originally scheduled to conclude. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/forestry/unff/unff1/index.html THIRTIETH SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER COUNCIL AND ASSOCIATED SESSIONS OF THE COMMITTEES: This meeting was held from 28 May to 2 June 2001 in Yaounde, Cameroon. Three hundred participants from 56 member states of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) attended the meeting. Delegates considered, inter alia, the report on Training Workshops and Field Testing of the Manual for the Application of Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Management of Natural Tropical Forests, and revisited relevant issues and relevant draft decisions from the twenty-ninth session, including: a framework for guidelines on the management of secondary tropical forests; certification; illegal logging and trade in illegally harvested timber; and training on the application of criteria and indicators in producer member countries and facilitation of reporting of progress towards achieving sustainable forest management. The Council concluded its meeting having decided that the ITTO will finance a project to develop and implement guidelines to stop illegal logging in Indonesia; assist its producer member countries to build capacity in voluntary certification; and send a mission to the five ITTO- member Congo Basin countries to strengthen sustainable forest management and forest protection. For more information visit: http://www.itto.or.jp/ittcdd_ses/decisions.html http://www.itto.or.jp/inside/current_news/congo_06.html, http://www.itto.or.jp/inside/current_news/certification_06.html and http://www.itto.or.jp/inside/current_news/illegal_06.html HABITAT 25TH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR ISTANBUL+5: The 25th Special Session of the UN General Assembly for an overall review and appraisal of progress made in the implementation of the outcome of the UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) took place from 6-8 June 2001 at UN Headquarters in New York. During the Special Session, delegates met in Plenary and the Committee of the Whole (COW) for general debate. Informal consultations on the 62-paragraph draft declaration on cities and other human settlements in the new millennium took place prior to the Special Session, on 4-5 June, and throughout the session itself. Delegates also met in the Thematic Committee, a mechanism that featured 16 presentations over three days highlighting successes and stimulating dialogue to guide the quest for solutions in the development of human settlements. Mayors, other local authorities, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, UN agencies and other stakeholders held parallel events to showcase their recent work in human settlements development. Negotiations focused primarily on seven outstanding paragraphs that were not resolved at PrepCom II in February in Nairobi. Delegates also considered proposals for new preambular text, with some noting that the draft declaration needed a stronger political focus, as well as new paragraphs on foreign occupation, protection of civilians in conformity with international humanitarian law, refugees, international terrorism and strengthening UN mechanisms to implement the Habitat Agenda. Closed-door discussions between a small group of countries over reference to illegal settlements consumed more than 12 hours on the final night of the meeting. On Saturday, 9 June, at 6:40 am, delegates adopted the report of the COW and the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements, having settled the remaining outstanding issues. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/habitat/istanbul+5/ OCEANS AND COASTS EU FISHERIES COUNCIL MEETING: The EU Fisheries Council met on 18 June 2001 in Luxemburg to consider a future new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which will enter into force on 1 January 2003. Fisheries Ministers discussed the first European Commission Green Paper on the matter, released in early June. The Green Paper recognizes that many fish stocks are over-fished and may collapse unless appropriate measures, such as restructuring of fisheries subsidies, are taken. During the Council meeting, Ministers discussed, inter alia, possible measures to strengthen conservation policies and the environmental aspects of the CFP, and issues related to monitoring, control and enforcement. The social and economic implications of the CFP were also considered, as was research and science. The meeting further adopted a plan to safeguard biodiversity and diminish the adverse environmental impacts of fisheries and aquaculture in the context of the new CFP, and stressed the need to reduce significantly fishing pressure through the development of long-term management plans for all relevant EU stocks. The socio-economic aspects of measures taken are also to be considered. The Fisheries Council also set as a goal to implement the precautionary principle for both target and non-target species. For more information visit: http://europa.eu.int/comm/fisheries/policy_en.htm http://www.ictsd.org/html/weekly/story6.19-06-01.htm http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11093 TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT INFORMAL PREPARATORY SESSION ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT FOR THE WTO FOURTH MINISTERIAL MEETING: World Trade Organization Members met in a series of informal General Council sessions in early June 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland. The sessions consisted of discussions on elements of the work programme for the WTO Fourth Ministerial meeting to be held in Doha, Qatar from 9-13 November 2001, with the aim of reaching agreement by the end of July on an outline for the Doha Ministerial Declaration. On 1 June, informal discussions were held on the topic of trade and environment. Possible elements of the Ministerial Declaration on the topic of environment were discussed. The EU, opposed by the US, supported the use of the precautionary principle in the WTO, and advocated the clarification of WTO rules with regard to multilateral environmental agreements. The question of whether "environment" should be considered a cross-cutting issue proved contentious. Discussions converged on the objective of sustainable development and the need to avoid protectionist policies, while more detailed aspects of possible Declaration text remained divisive. The text on environment is expected to remain one of the contentious issues in the preparations for the Fourth Ministerial meeting. More information on this meeting is available online at: http://www.ictsd.org/html/weekly/06-06-01/story1.htm WETLANDS TENTH Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) of the Ramsar Convention on WetLAnds: This meeting was held from 27-29 June 2001 in Gland, Switzerland. Delegates and invited experts met in both plenary sessions and expert working groups. They considered the provisional agenda and programme for COP8 in 2002, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, management planning case studies, the application of Ramsar site criteria and guidelines,b and progress on the modus operandi of the STRP. They also considered the Strategic Plan for the period 2003-2008 and reviewed progress on STRP tasks and targets. Working groups were convened on a number of issues, including: climate change; integrated coastal zone management; allocation and management of water for maintaining ecological functions; the World Commission on Dams; peatlands; wetland management and inventory; ecological quality, assessment methodologies and early warning systems; wetland restoration; and invasive species. More information on this meeting is available online at: http://www.ramsar.org/w.n.html and http://www.ramsar.org/strp10_agenda.htm WILDLIFE 45th MEETING OF THE CITES Standing Committee: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Standing Committee held its 45th meeting from 19-22 June 2001 in Paris, France. The meeting, attended by over 100 officials from member states, considered measures to restrict the caviar trade of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, as the sturgeon population is being threatened by over-fishing and illegal poaching. All species of sturgeon are listed in CITES Appendix II, meaning all caviar exports must comply with CITES provisions, including the use of permits and specific labeling. Prior to the meeting, officials from the states around the Caspian Sea convened from 12-13 June in Geneva, where they agreed to draw up a regional action plan for restoring populations of sturgeon to safe levels and to jointly control illegal caviar trade, issuing a statement to this effect. The purpose of this meeting was to avert a possible ban on caviar trade or sharply reduced quotas. At the CITES Standing Committee meeting in Paris, the caviar producing states around the Caspian sea agreed to halt sturgeon fishing for the rest of the year and conduct a survey of sturgeon stocks. The CITES Secretariat and Interpol will assist with regard to enforcement and inspection of sturgeon management activities and to combat illegal harvesting and trade. Unless the management agreement is implemented by the end of the year, the quotas for 2002 will be set at zero. Parties in attendance also explored financing proposals for implementing the agreement, and considered arrangements for assisting communities that depend on sturgeon for their livelihood. More information on this meeting is available online at: http://www.cites.org/eng/news/SC45.shtml http://www.cites.org/eng/news/press_release.shtml http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11284 and http://www.enn.com/news/wire- stories/2001/06/06192001/sturgeon_44046.asp?site=email WOMEN asia pacific Regional Summit of Women Mayors and Councillors: This Summit was held from 19-22 June 2001 in Phitsanulok, Thailand. More than 250 participants from 24 countries and territories attended the conference, which was organized by the UN ECOSOC for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), other UN bodies, non-governmental organizations, and research and training institutions. The role of women in city government was highlighted at this conference. Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of ESCAP, highlighted how Asian and Pacific countries would be cleaner, healthier and friendlier if women had an equal decision-making role in local government. According to ESCAP, women in decision-making government positions provide "transformative leadership" by redefining political priorities, placing new items on the agenda and providing new perspectives on mainstream issues. Participants adopted the "Phitsanulok Declaration on the Advancement of Women in Local Government," which calls for campaign spending caps, quotas, election reform, and a goal of 50- 50 representation between women and men in local government. They made a commitment to advancing this goal by working to change electoral system law and political party structure, and building networks of women in local government. More information on the meeting is available at: http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/g_25_01.htm and http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/n_13_01.htm MEDIA REPORTS The latest news from the field of international environment and development negotiations, with links to relevant media coverage and press releases SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MOST OF ARCTIC TO BE CRITICALLY-DISTURBED BY 2050 Up to 80% of the arctic will reach critical levels of human- induced disturbance by 2050 if the region continues to industrialize at current rates, according to a new study by UNEP scientists. The impacts of mining, oil and gas exploration, ports, roads and other developments on one of the world's last wilderness areas were projected using "GLOBIO," the new Global methodology for mapping human impacts on the Biosphere. The study found that wildlife abundance, bird populations, vegetation, hydrology, permafrost and tundra conditions are likely to be adversely affected. The traditional existence of indigenous people who rely on hunting and herding of reindeer and caribou and who have developed social networks, traditions and cultural life- styles based on these animals are also threatened by arctic industrialization. Commenting on the study, Mark Collins of UNEP's World Conservation Monitoring Centre stated that although vast tracts of the Arctic are designated as protected areas, many key ecosystems are poorly protected, particularly in the southern part of the Arctic, where most of the development is occurring. Links to further information UNEP press release, 18 June 2001 http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=204&ArticleID =2870 MILLENNIUM ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT LAUNCHED A global study to comprehensively assess the state of the entire Earth's ecosystems has been launched. The study, which will be undertaken by a global network of scientists, government experts, and environmental NGOs, is set to focus both on the current impacts human are having on the planet and on finding solutions and strategies to remedy and restore affected habitats. The US $21 million assessment will take four years and will include an analysis of 16,000 new NASA Landsat satellite images providing data on changes since the Earth Summit in 1992. The Assessment will build on the "Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems" (PAGE) project from 2000. It will be chaired by Robert Watson, Chief Scientist at the World Bank and Zakri Hamid, Director of the United Nations University's Institute of Advanced Studies. Links to further information Millennium Ecosystem Assessment website http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.htm World Resources Institute press release, 5 June 2001 http://www.wri.org/press/millassess.html INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE LAUNCHED A new initiative to promote sustainable business practices in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector has been announced. The Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) was launched by an international alliance of telecommunications operators and suppliers such as AT&T and Ericsson, with support from UNEP and the International Telecommunication Union. The companies will promote business practices and technologies that save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize waste and help bridge the digital divide. Key goals include ensuring the ICT sector's sustainability and promoting a globally sustainable future. The announcement of the initiative took place on World Environment Day, which is celebrated annually on 5 June. This year's theme was "Connect with the World Wide Web of Life." In a speech marking the event, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for a new ethic of global stewardship and conservation, and for the imagination and courage of all people to make it a reality. UNEP Executive Director Klaus Töpfer highlighted the opportunities inherent in new information and communication technologies. He stressed that humans are a part of a vast web of interconnected species and systems, and as such must develop an ecological, holistic world view which connects us with the rest of nature. Also on World Environment Day, 18 "Global 500 Awards" were presented to individuals and organizations that have contributed to environmental protection. The recipients included a couple in Malaysia setting up a programme to save turtle eggs, an individual in Kenya transforming a designated dumpsite into a nature reserve and community center and a young boy campaigning against lawn pesticides in Canada. Links to further information World Environment Day website http://www.unep.org/wed/2001 GeSI web site http://www.gesi.org UNEP press release, 5 June 2001 http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=204&ArticleID =2867 CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERE US, EU FAIL TO AGREE ON KYOTO PROTOCOL US President Bush and EU leaders meeting during a Summit held mid- June have continued to differ on the possible terms for a deal to further international agreement on climate change. Climate protection featured high on the agenda during the US-EU Summit, but the parties were not able to resolve their diverging views on the matter, and in the end "agreed to disagree." The EU is pushing for ratification of the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Convention on Climate Change. The US, after rejecting the treaty in late March, is advocating further climate research and schemes for voluntary restrictions of greenhouse gas emissions. Links to further information Reuters news release, 15 June 2001 http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11211&newsdate= 15-Jun-2001 BBC news release, 14 June 2001 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1387000/13876 67.stm BBC news report, 11 June 2001 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1383000/1383672.stm NEW EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN ARCTIC REGIONS A new study showing large areas of thawing Siberian land appears to have presented further evidence of the impacts of global warming on the Arctic. According to a recent report by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the flow of Siberian rivers has significantly increased in spite of catchment areas receiving less rain and snow. The study suggests that this additional water is from thawing permafrost in the tundra. Increased freshwater flowing into the sea from major rivers is expected to change the salinity of the Arctic Ocean, impact habitats, and introduce new and changing sea currents. The study notes that Arctic melting also poses a threat to the Inuit, migrating caribou and polar bears. Olav Orheim, head of the Norwegian Polar Institute, estimates that polar ice has shrunk by about three percent a decade in the past 40 years and temperatures on the continental Arctic have risen by about one degree Celsius (33.80 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade. In related news, recent studies also seem to suggest that Arctic melting could threaten the Gulf Stream and cause temperatures in parts of northern Europe to decrease. Links to further information WWF press release, 11 June 2001 http://www.enn.com/direct/display-release.asp?id=4566 UNEP press release, 18 June 2001 http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=204&ArticleID =2870 Reuters News Service, 20 June 2001 http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11248 WEB PORTAL ON OZONE & AGRICULTURE LAUNCHED UNEP and UNIDO have jointly launched a web portal showcasing the results of projects to phase out methyl bromide, an ozone- depleting toxic pesticide. The projects demonstrate efficient and cost-effective alternatives to the dangerous fumigant, promoting more environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. The web portal, called "FOOD (Free Of Ozone Depletion) for a Healthy Planet," functions as an awareness-raising tool and is expected to catalyze methyl bromide phase-out in developing countries. Links to further information FOOD for a Health Planet website http://www.uneptie.org/unido/food/ UNEP press release, 4 June 2001 http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=204&ArticleID =2868 TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT WTO PANEL ALLOWS U.S. TURTLE PROTECTION MEASURES A World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel has ruled that the US may continue, for the moment, to ban imports of shrimp and shrimp products that have been harvested without measures to protect endangered sea turtles. The ruling follows a complaint by Malaysia to the WTO, in which it alleged that the US had failed to comply with a 1998 WTO dispute settlement panel ruling that the original US import ban violated WTO trading rules and therefore must be altered. However, the compliance panel recognized efforts by the US to conclude a regional sea turtle protection programme and new US guidelines for the approval of foreign turtle protection schemes. The panel stressed the need for the US to continue its efforts with regard to the regional sea turtle protection agreement. Links to further information WTO panel report, June 2001 http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/58rw_e.pdf Reuters newswire, 18 June 2001 http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11217 WILDLIFE NEW INITIATIVE TO SAVE ALBATROSS Seven countries have signed an agreement to save the albatross by reducing threats due to pollution and longline fishing. Twenty albatross species in the southern hemisphere may become extinct in the absence of protection measures, and the signatories to the agreement – Australia, Brazil, Chile, France, New Zealand, Peru and the UK – hope to see further countries join the initiative. It will include awareness raising and education among fishers to promote less harmful fishing practices. A World Advisory Committee was established to report annually on progress and practices to mitigate threats to the albatross and on the protection of their habitats. Links to further information Reuters newswire, 20 June 2001 http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11255 ASIAN BIRDS FACE EXTINCTION THREAT A comprehensive assessment of bird populations in Asia has found that one in eight of all Asian bird species is threatened with extinction. The assessment, published recently by BirdLife International, suggests that all 323 threatened species are at risk of extinction from habitat loss or degradation resulting primarily from logging, and forest or wetland clearance for agriculture. Exploitation for food and bird trade affects 50% of threatened species. Other threats include invasive species, disease, longline fishing and climate change. The assessment also identifies practical actions to save species from extinction, providing sound data and policy advice on which governments might base more effective conservation actions. These actions include establishing new protected areas, extending existing protected areas, new legislation, increased awareness and advocacy and the implementation of Species Action Plans for those occurring across national boundaries. Conservation measures have been proposed for every species. Two species have already been saved from extinction through targeted conservation action since 1994. Links to further information Birdlife International assessment http://www.rdb.or.id/home.html New Scientist, 5 June 2001 http://www.newscientist.co.uk/dailynews/news.jsp?id=ns9999834 BBC news report, 6 June 2001 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia- pacific/newsid_1371000/1371775.stm Reuters newswire, 12 June 2001 http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11144 COMINGS AND GOINGS Information on key appointments, departures and vacancies at United Nations agencies, international organizations, government departments and non-governmental organizations active in the field of international environment and development negotiations APPOINTMENTS NEW DIRECTOR AT UNISDR Salvano Briceño has recently been appointed as Director of the Inter-agency Secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), which was established as a follow-up mechanism to the International Decade on Natural Disaster Reduction. Briceño leaves UNCTAD for this Geneva-based position. UNITAR APPOINTS SENIOR PROGRAMME COORDINATORS The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has appointed Annie Roncerel Senior Programme Coordinator for its Climate Change Programme, and Mary Sancy Senior Programme Coordinator for its Environmental Law Programme. More information is available online at: http://www.ictsd.org (Bridges Weekly Trade Journal). VACANCIES DESA DIVISION FOR WOMEN SEEKS DIRECTOR The Division for the Advancement of Women at the UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs (DESA) is seeking to fill the position of Director. This D-2 post is based in New York, and the closing date for applications is 17 July. More information is available online at: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/eesa1921.htm ESCAP SEEKS ENVIRONMENT CHIEF The Environment and Natural Resources Development Division of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is seeking a Chief for its Environment Section. This is a P-5 position based in Bangkok, Thailand. The deadline for applications is 4 August. More information is available online at: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/eesc2083.htm DESERTIFICATION SECRETARIAT SEEKS DEPUTY The Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is seeking a Deputy Executive Secretary. This D-1 position is based in Bonn, Germany, and the deadline for applications is 11 August. More information is available online at: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/eccd2091.htm READINGS New and recent book titles, articles and other literature on environment and development JOURNALS /Sustainable Development "Sustainable development: is it achievable within the existing international political economy context?" Sustainable Development 9 (2, 2001), pp. 61-73. Noting increasing evidence of widespread environmental crises and the need to rethink many of the concepts related to environment and development, Georgia Carvalho examines the roots of the sustainable development concept. She argues that within the current international political economic system it would be nearly impossible to adopt development strategies that are conducive to truly sustainable development. Therefore, she examines four hypotheses about international political economic structures and their relationship to sustainable development. Her analysis builds on the linkages between historical processes, international political economic structures, international institutions and the development process posited by globalist theories. She concludes by stating that profound changes in economic, political and social structure are necessary to foster sustainable development. /Biodiversity "Value of biodiversity in pharmaceutical research with differentiated products." Environmental and Resource Economics 18 (1, 2001), pp. 1-17. Focusing on "biodiversity prospecting" or the use of natural organisms to search for new agricultural, industrial, and pharmaceutical products, Amy Craft and R. David Simpson consider the value of biodiversity in pharmaceutical research. They apply a new approach to estimating value, employing two models of competition among differentiated products. According to both models, the value of marginal species is small to researchers, whereas the models yield very different results with regard to social value. The authors stress the need for a better understanding of the meaning of diversity. /Climate Change "Brazil and the politics of the climate change negotiations." Journal of Environment & Development 10 (2, 2001), pp. 178-206. Ken Johnson provides a description of Brazil's interests, positions and contributions to the negotiations of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He argues that Brazil has a significant stake in the negotiations because of the country's economic and social development goals, which rely on the growth of its energy sector and development of the Amazon region. The climate change negotiations also affect some aspects of national security. Johnson argues that Brazil has made some important contributions to the climate negotiations. He lays out Brazil's interests and negotiating positions with respect to three key issues: emissions reductions responsibilities; the Kyoto mechanisms; and land use change and forestry. Johnson then assesses Brazil's contributions in terms of achieving an accord that will slow global warming and promoting Brazil's national interests. "Implementing the climate change regime's clean development mechanism." Journal of Environment & Development 10 (2, 2001), pp. 125-146. In this article, Ronald Mitchell and Edward Parson consider the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. They note that implementation of an effective CDM system will require recognizing that projects may fail for several different reasons, including: the intentional non-performance by participants; the withholding of necessary cooperation by non-participants; adverse external events; or any combination of these. Mitchell and Parson argue that maximizing the benefits to the climate change regime will require establishing project criteria and monitoring procedures that distinguish project-related from participant-related risk. They suggest the implementation of facilitative measures to avert failures before they occur rather than an adversarial approach focused on identifying and punishing those that may cause project failure. They conclude that the success of the CDM will require the progressive evaluation and refinement of the system as a whole, as well as of individual projects. "An alternative approach to establishing trade-offs among greenhouse gases." Nature 410 (6829, 2001), pp. 675-677. Alan Manne and Richard Richels critique the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approach to establishing emission equivalence between different greenhouse gases. The IPCC suggested global warming potentials are based on the accumulated radiative forcing of each gas by a set time horizon. Manne and Richels highlight shortcomings due to the fact that damages or abatement costs are not considered, and the choice of time horizon for calculating cumulative radiative force is critical, but arbitrary. They suggest an alternative framework for determining emission equivalence between radiatively active gases, focusing on limiting temperature change and rate of temperature change. "International comparisons of sectoral carbon dioxide emissions using a cross-country decomposition technique." Energy Journal 22 (2, 2001), pp. 35-75. This article by Lee Schipper, Scott Murtishaw and Fridtjof Unander describes the methodology for an international comparison between per capita carbon emissions, including which sources contribute most to differences between countries and why. The authors carried out the comparison on a number of International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries. Based on comprehensive, disaggregated data from national sources, their calculations show where differences in the components of emissions lead to large gaps among countries. The authors conclude that overall, activity differences account for the largest part of the gap in per capita emissions among IEA countries. Most of the structural variations arise in the freight, services, and household sectors - sectors less sensitive to international competition than manufacturing. /Wetlands "The economic value of wetland services: a meta-analysis." Ecological Economics 37 (2, 2001), pp. 257-270. Noting that the number of studies seeking to quantify the value of wetlands and the services they provide is rapidly expanding, Richard Woodward and Yong-Suhk Wui have performed an assessment of what can be learned from the literature. Based on a review of 39 separate studies, they evaluate the relative value of different wetland services, the sources of bias in wetland valuation, and the returns to scale exhibited in wetland values. Woodward and Wui conclude that while some general trends are beginning to emerge, the prediction of a wetland's value remains highly uncertain - at least based on previous studies - and stress the need for site- specific valuation. /Trade and Environment "Ecologically unsustainable trade." Ecological Economics 37 (1, 2001), pp. 113-122. Written by Jan Otto Andersson and Mattias Lindroth, this article uses the ecological footprint concept to analyze and distinguish different types of ecologically unsustainable trade. They note that international trade that is sustainable in monetary terms can be unsustainable when it implies overuse of bio-capacity. The authors consider the effects of trade on the ecological footprint, suggesting four categories of effects: an allocative effect, an income effect, a rich-country- illusion effect, and a terms-of-trade effect. They conclude by raising ethical and political issues that arise due to the fact that international trade can blur the view of responsibility for the ecological effects of production and consumption and can lead to the local preservation of ecological sustainability in some countries through import of biomass and sink capacity from other countries. "Reconsidering agri-environmental policy permitted by the Uruguay round agreement." Ecological Economics 37 (2, 2001), pp. 313-326. Geoff Edwards and Ian Fraser consider agri-environmental policies permitted by the WTO Uruguay Round agreement that are increasingly being used to redress the balance between jointly-produced agricultural and environmental outputs. Noting that the policies are not allowed to be trade-distorting, the authors argue that any market consequences of efficient, welfare-enhancing agri- environmental policies should not be considered trade-distorting. They state that this would be inconsistent with economic efficiency and ecological integrity, and that social cost-benefit analysis is an appropriate test and guide of trade-consistency for agri-environmental policies. The authors argue that using trade effects as the test may not enhance social welfare. They further propose that specific provisions in the Uruguay Round agreement restricting payments under agri-environmental policies to opportunity costs are not warranted on economic efficiency grounds, and suggest that these provisions consign the environment to a status subsidiary to agricultural output. NEW PUBLICATIONS Vital Signs 2001: The Trends That are Shaping Our Future (Worldwatch Institute, 2001). The tenth anniversary edition of Vital Signs, authored by a team of researchers at the Worldwatch Institute, presents global social, economic and environmental trends. The authors find that levels of consumption are rising, providing meat and coffee consumption as examples. The number of obese people is a growing public health concern in developed countries and within segments of the population in developing countries. While the use of pharmaceutical products has risen, the majority of all drugs are used in developed countries to treat "First World illnesses," such as heart disease and indigestion. The authors also show that reliance on cars has grown, leading to rising emissions of carbon dioxide. For more information on the book visit: http://secure.worldwatch.org/cgi-bin/wwinst/VS01P Cities in a Globalizing World: Global Report on Human Settlements 2001 (Earthscan 2001). The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) has released a report reviewing the conditions and trends of the cities of the world. The report, authored by a team of 80 specialists, analyses the impacts of global integration and the spread of information and communication technologies on human settlements. Focusing on changes and challenges with regard to urban governance and politics, housing finance and shelter delivery systems, and the urban environment and infrastructure, the authors provide guidance for urban planning and management policies for livable cities in a globalizing world. For more information on the book visit: http://www.earthscan.co.uk/cities/home.htm At the Ends of the Earth: A History of the Polar Regions (Island Press/Shearwater Books, June 2001). In this book, Kieran Mulvaney recounts stories from both the Arctic and the Antarctic. Focusing both on the landscapes and on the people inhabiting them, Mulvaney describes the changes occurring in these unique and fragile regions. The book highlights the fact that the Polar regions are affected by environmental changes precipitated by humans in other parts of the Earth, and function as a barometer for the health of the planet. For example, Arctic natives have higher levels of contaminants in their bodies than people anywhere else in the world, and ozone levels are at their lowest over the poles. The book traces the environmental history of the Polar regions, including the impacts of tourism, global warming, ozone depletion and oil and mineral extraction. For more information on this book visit: http://www.seaweb.org WHAT'S NEW ONLINE /Sustainable Development The World Resources Institute (WRI) has developed and launched a new interactive environmental information web portal, EarthTrends: The Environmental Information Portal, which provides comprehensive environment and sustainable development data in the form of maps, articles, and country profiles. Highlighting current trends and developments, it functions as a one-stop-shop for internationally comparable data, and is aimed at both policy-makers and researchers, as well as the general public. The information is organized under ten topics: coastal and marine ecosystems; forests and grasslands; water resources and freshwater systems; agriculture and food; climate and atmosphere; population, health, and human well-being; economics and business; energy; biodiversity and protected areas; and environmental governance, and includes the information in the annual World Resources report. To access the web portal visit: http://earthtrends.wri.org The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), in collaboration with the Regional and International Networking Group (RING), has published short briefing papers on a variety of issues, including climate change, drylands management, environmental rights, local agenda 21, the UN Financing for Development process, national strategies for sustainable development, sustainability and trade, biodiversity, water and the private sector, and health and sustainable development. These papers have been released in support of the preparatory process for the World Summit of Sustainable Development in 2002. To access the briefing papers visit: http://www.iied.org/wssd/pubs.html /Climate Change Two recent papers by Benito Müller on climate change are available online. Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol: the case for Japanese- Russian joint implementation (RIIA Briefing Paper, New Series No. 21, May 2001) focuses on Russian-Japanese co-operation on climate change. A second paper forms the basis of a presentation delivered by thr author at the World Bank on its "Climate Change Day" on 14 June, entitled Fatally Flawed Inequity: Kyoto's Unfair Burden on the United States & The Chinese Challenge to American Emission Dominance. To access the papers online visit: http://www.wolfson.ox.ac.uk/~mueller/ /Ozone Depletion Standards and Codes of Practice to Eliminate Dependency on Halons: Handbook of Good Practices in the Halon Sector (UNEP OzonAction Programme and the Fire Protection Research Foundation, May 2001). This handbook supports the phase-out of halons in accordance with the Montreal Protocol by highlighting relevant standards and codes of practice, and providing step-by-step guidance on their revision and/or establishment as well as practical implementation. It is aimed at National Ozone Units, governments and fire protection communities responsible for planning and implementing the Montreal Protocol halon provisions. To access the handbook online visit: http://194.51.235.137/ozat/policy/halstand.pdf Case studies on how to eliminate dependency on halons have also been released by UNEP. To access the report visit: http://194.51.235.137/ozat/tech/haloncs.pdf /Oceans and Coasts The Coastal Resources Management Project-Philippines has published an online guide entitled Coral Reef Monitoring for Management. The guide is aimed at communities and field level staff who are involved in project implementation, and presents low-cost, less technical survey techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of coastal management efforts. To access the guide online visit: http://www.oneocean.org/download/index.html#coral_reef_monitoring UPCOMING MEETINGS Information on upcoming conferences, workshops and symposia in the field of international environment and development negotiations SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2002 WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUBREGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETINGS: Subregional preparatory meetings for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development are scheduled to take place between June and September 2001. The Andean region meeting will take place from 2-3 July in Quito, Ecuador. The Meso-America meeting will take place on 17-18 July in San Salvador, El Salvador. For more information contact: Alicia Barcena, UNECLAC, Santiago; tel: +562-210-2000; e-mail: abarcena@eclac.cl or Ricardo Sanchez Sosa, Director, UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico; tel: +525-202-7529/7493; fax: +525-202- 0950; e-mail: rsanchez@rolac.unep.mx The Northeast Asia region meeting will take place 25-27 July in Beijing, China. The Southeast Asia subregional meeting will take place during the first week of August in Manila, the Philippines. The South Asia region meeting will take place during the last week of August in either Bhutan or Kathmandu. The Central Asia meeting will take place from 5-7 September in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Pacific region meeting will take place in mid September in Apia, Samoa. For more information contact: Rezaul Karim, UNESCAP, Bangkok; tel: +66-2-288-1614, e-mail: karim.unescap@un.org or Nirmal Andrews, Director, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok; tel: +66-2-288- 1870; fax: +66-2-280-3829; e-mail: andrewsni@un.org The South Africa meeting will take place from 3-5 September in Gaborone, Botswana. The Northern Africa meeting will take place from 5-7 September in Tunis, Tunisia. The East Africa meeting is scheduled for 10-12 September in Djibouti. The Central Africa region meeting will take place from 17-19 September in Libreville, Gabon. The West Africa meeting will take place from 24-26 September in Abuja, Nigeria. For more information contact: Ousmane Laye, UNECA; tel: +251-1-515-761; e-mail: olaye@uneca.org or Sekou Toure, Director, UNEP Regional Office for Africa; tel: +254-2-624- 285; e-mail: sekou.toure@unep.org; Internet: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/ 2002 WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT REGIONAL and Subregional STAKEHOLDER ROUNDTABLES: The East Asia and Pacific meeting will be held from 9-11 July 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Central and South Asia roundtable will take place 30 July-1 August 2001 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The West Asia stakeholder roundtable will be held from 23-25 September 2001 in Manama, Bahrain. For more information contact: Mahmood Abdulraheem, Director, UNEP Regional Office for West Asia, Manama, Bahrain; tel: +973-826-600; fax: +973-823-110/1; e-mail: uneprowa@batelco.com.bh CONSULTATIONS ON INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE: Expert Consultations on International Environmental Governance will be held in the second half of July 2001 in Bonn, Germany, during the resumed Sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-6bis) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change . The exact date is yet to be confirmed. Consultations will also be held in September or October in Algeria, and in November in Montreal, with specific dates yet to be confirmed. Expert Consultations will be held on 25 January 2002 prior to the second Preparatory Committee for the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg 2002. For more information visit: http://www.unep.org/IEG/ ECOSOC HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-level Segment is being held from 16-18 July 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland. The focus of the segment will be on the role of the UN system in supporting the efforts of African countries in achieving sustainable development. The session will seek to strengthen dialogue between governments, international organizations, civil society and the business sector. For more information visit: http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ecosoc/dev_afr/index.htm CONFERENCE ON DETECTING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE - SCIENCE AND SOCIETY: This conference will take place from 16-20 July 2001 in London, UK. The conference will focus on applications involving the detection and understanding of long-term changes in natural and disturbed environmental systems, and will review methods of environmental change detection across different disciplines by bringing together scientists and stakeholders concerned with monitoring of terrestrial, freshwater, marine, hydrological, atmospheric, and social systems. For more information contact: Catherine E. Stickley, Environmental Change Research Centre, Department of Geography, University College; tel: +44-20-7679- 5562; ; e-mail: c.stickley@ucl.ac.uk; Internet: http://www.nmw.ac.uk/change2001/ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GRASSLAND SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY: This conference will be held from 17-20 July 2001 in Inner Mongolia, China. It is being sponsored by the China Association of Agriculture Science Societies (CAASS) and the Chinese Grassland Society. For more information contact: Yan Dongquan, CAASS, Beijing, China; tel: +86-10-6419-4487; fax: +86-10-6419-4449; e-mail: gouhq@cav.net.cn PREPARATORY MEETING OF THE WORLD CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM: This meeting is being held from 18-20 July 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland. It will bring together civil society groups intending to organize and participate in the 2002 World Civil Society Forum. For more information visit: http://www.mandint.org/forum G8 SUMMIT 2001: Heads of State and leaders from the "G8" countries – the US, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Canada and Russia - will meet from 20-22 July 2001 in Genoa, Italy. For more information visit: http://www.genoa-g8.it/eng/index.html CONFERENCE ON WIND EROSION AND AEOLIAN PROCESSES: This conference will take place from 22-25 July 2001 in Lubbock, Texas. It is a joint meeting of the Fifth International Conference on Aeolian Research and the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems-Soil Erosion Network (Wind). For more information contact: Ted Zobeck, US Department of Agriculture; e-mail: tzobeck@lbk.ars.usda.gov or Jeff Lee; University of Texas, e-mail: jeff.lee@ttu.edu; Internet: http://www.lbk.ars.usda.gov/wewc/icar_v/icar_v.htm NINTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON TRANSPORT RESEARCH: This conference will be held from 22-27 July 2001 in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The conference aims to convene managers, policy makers and academics in a single forum to exchange views on the practice and theory of transport research, with an emphasis on the interface between research results and policy-making. For more information contact: WCTR Secretariat; tel: +82-31-910-3100; e-mail: secretariat@wctr2001.org; Internet: http://www.wctr2001.org/ INTERNATIONAL WATER HISTORY ASSOCIATION: This conference will take place from 10-12 August 2001 in Bergen, Norway. Participants will include researchers from different disciplines, studying the character and role of freshwater in history and development. The conference is being organized in co-operation with UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme. For more information visit: http://www.svf.uib.no/sfu/nsw/conference.shtml or http://www.iwha.net/ 11TH STOCKHOLM WATER SYMPOSIUM: This Symposium will be held from 13-16 August 2001 in Stockholm, Sweden. Its theme is "Water Security for the 21st Century - Building Bridges Through Dialogue." The goal of the meeting is to facilitate sustainable development and influence globalization by linking water visions to economic, political and ecological visions. For more information contact: Symposium Secretariat, Stockholm International Water Institute, tel: +46-8-522-139-75 or +46-8-522- 139-61; e-mail: sympos@siwi.org; Internet: http://www.siwi.org/ INTERNATIONAL FUTURE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE: This conference will be held from 20-22 August 2001 in Costa Mesa, California, US. The theme of the conference is "20-20 Foresight," and participants will address topics such as energy and the environment, alternative fuels and energy systems, and intelligent transportation systems. For more information contact: Rosemary Janeshak, SAE International; tel: +1-724-776-4841; e-mail: janeshak@sae.org; Internet: http://www.sae.org/calendar/ftt/ or http://www.fttec.com/ CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE APPLICATIONS FOR TROPICAL ISLAND STATES – SATIS 2001: This conference will be held from 29-31 August 2001 in Kingston, Jamaica, and will aim to provide a forum for dissemination of information on the use and development of renewable energy technologies and systems in tropical islands, particularly in the Caribbean. For more information contact: Raymond M. Wright; tel: +876-929-5380; fax: +876-926-3928; e-mail: rwright@pcj.com; Internet: http://www.pcj.com/whatsnew.htm INTERNATIONAL EMINENT PERSONS' MEETING ON INTER-LINKAGES: This meeting, providing input to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, will take place from 3-4 September 2001, in Tokyo. The topic of the meeting, which is being jointly organized by United Nations University, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment of Japan and the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE) will be "Strategies for bridging problems and solutions to work towards sustainable development." For more information contact: Jerry Velasquez, United Nations University; tel: +81-3-5467-1301; fax: +81-3-3407-8164; e-mail: jerry@geic.or.jp; Internet: http://www.unu.edu INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CONFLICT ASSESSMENT AND RESOLUTION FOR RESERVOIR SYSTEMS: This conference will take place from 3-5 September 2001 in Vienna, Austria. The meeting will contribute to UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme addressing conflicts between different uses and users of water and to review environmental risk and impact assessment of reservoir development and management. For more information contact: Venkat Rao, Conference Executive Director; tel: +44-20-7-477-8148; fax: +44- 20-7477-8570; e-mail: k.v.rao@city.ac.uk; Internet: http://www.city.ac.uk/ica/ or http://www.unesco.org/ CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL BY 2020: FROM DIALOGUE TO ACTION: This meeting will take place from 4-6 September 2001 in Bonn, Germany. It is being organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with the Government of Germany. For more information contact: Simone Hill-Lee, IFPRI, Washington DC; fax: +1-202-467- 4439; e-mail: s.hill-lee@cgiar.org; Internet: http://www.ifpri.cgiar.org/2020conference/index.htm INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS: The International Rainwater Conference 2001 will be held from 10-14 September 2001 in Mannheim, Germany. Participants will consider the potential that rainwater harvesting offers in solving domestic and agricultural water problems in humid and semi-arid areas and in tackling critical urban-related water issues. This meeting provides a global platform to exchange technologies and concepts pertaining to rainwater catchments. For more information visit: http://www.rainwaterconference.org/ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GLOBALIZATION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: This meeting will take place in Trieste, Italy, from 11-13 September 2001. It is being co-organized by Harvard University's Center for International Development and Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and the Third World Academy of Sciences. For more information contact Derya Honca, Program Coordinator, Center for International Development, Harvard University; tel: +1-617-495-1923; e-mail: m_derya_honca@harvard.edu; Internet: http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidbiotech/r&dconf/description.htm NINTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MODELING, MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT OF AIR POLLUTION 2001: This conference will be held from 12-14 September 2001 in Ancona, Italy. The meeting will emphasize the development of experimental and computational techniques that can be used as a tool for the solution and understanding of practical air pollution problems from which it is possible to evaluate proposed emission control techniques and strategies. For more information contact: Gabriella Cossutta, Conference Secretariat; tel: +44-238-029-3223; fax: +44-238-029- 2853; e-mail: gcossutta@wessex.ac.uk; Internet: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2001/air01/index.html INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDUSTRIAL SUSTAINABILITY: This conference, focusing on Eco-efficient Industry - Environmental Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking - will be held from 17-19 September 2001 in Taipei, Taiwan. The conference will provide a forum for key stakeholders to discuss strategies and management tools for achieving industrial sustainability. For more information contact: Tony Mo, Taiwan Business Council for Sustainable Development; tel: +886-225-501-792; fax: +886-225-506- 309; e-mail: bcsdroc@iplus.net.tw CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT 2001: This conference will be held from 17-21 September 2001 in Havana, Cuba. It will be an opportunity for an exchange of experiences among authorities, scientists, industry representatives and technical experts involved in transport. For more information contact: Huberto Valdés Rios, Secretario Ejectivo; tel: +537-62-3051/3058, ext. 230; e-mail: iitransp@transnet.cu; Internet: http://www.transnet.cu/web/convencion/convencion.html VELO CITY CONFERENCE 2001: This conference will be held from 17-21 September 2001, in Glasgow and Edinburgh, UK. The conference will focus on: the link between transport and education in creating safer routes to schools; local authority collaboration to promote cycling; and practical examples of partnership between land use and transport to create car-free communities. For more information contact: Meeting Makers, Ltd.; tel: +44-141-434-1500; fax: +44- 141-434-1519; e-mail: velo_city@meetingmakers.co.uk; Internet: http://www.velo-city2001.org/ SERVING HUMAN NEEDS - NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: This forum will be held during the 45th Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency Conference from 18-19 September 2001 in Austria, Vienna. The objective of this year's scientific forum is to increase awareness that technical co-operation can produce cost-effective solutions to problems of sustainable development. For more information contact: International Atomic Energy Agency; tel: +43-1-2600-0; fax: +43-1- 26007; Internet: http://www.iaea.org/worldatom/Meetings/Planned/2001/scforum_progra mme.shtml SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON CHILDREN: The Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Children will take place from 19-21 September 2001 at UN Headquarters in New York. This meeting will be held ten years after the World Summit for Children. It is being preceded by final preparatory meetings aimed at concluding talks on the draft outcome document, scheduled for July or August. For more information contact: Secretariat for the Special Session on Children, UNICEF House, 3 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017, USA; Internet: http://www.unicef.org/specialsession/ CONFERENCE ON REVITALISING COMMUNITIES IN A GLOBALISING WORLD: This conference is scheduled for 20 September 2001 in Southampton, UK. The conference aims to explore how to develop partnerships amongst local communities, entrepreneurs, policy makers and academics to work together in dealing with issues of poverty, improving the quality of life and safeguarding the environment. For more information contact: University of Southampton, e-mail: pk2@socsci.soton.ac.uk; Internet: http://www.ciscodev.soton.ac.uk 2002 WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETINGS: Regional preparatory meetings for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development will be held between September and November 2001. The European regional meeting will take place from 24-25 September in Geneva, Switzerland. The Africa meeting is scheduled for 15-18 October in Nairobi, Kenya. The Latin American and Caribbean meeting will be held from 23-24 October in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The West Asia meeting will occur from 23-25 October in Cairo, Egypt. The Asia and Pacific meeting will take place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from 27-29 November. For more information on all the preparatory regional meetings contact: Hiroko Morita-Lou, DESA, New York; tel: +1-212-963-8813; fax: +1- 212-963-4260; e-mail: morita-lou@un.org; Internet: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ECOLOGY & TRANSPORTATION: This conference will be held from 24-28 September 2001 in Keystone, Colorado, US. Topics include wetlands and water quality, threatened and endangered species, habitat management, and land use planning. For more information contact: David L. Zeigler; tel: +1-850-922-7209; fax +1-850-922-7217; e-mail: david.zeigler@dot.state.fl.us; Internet: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/emo/sched/ICOWET.htm EIGHTH WORLD CONGRESS ON INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS: This meeting will convene from 30 September – 4 October 2001 in Sydney, Australia. Its aim is to provide a platform for the presentation and discussion of advanced concepts, research results and deployment activities. For more information contact: Congress Secretariat; tel: +61-2-9241-1478; fax: +61-2-9251-3552; e-mail: its2001@itsworldcongress.org; Internet: http://www.itsworldcongress.org WORLD CONGRESS ON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE – A WORLDWIDE CHALLENGE: This congress will take place on 1-5 October 2001 in Madrid, Spain. It is being organized by FAO and the European Conservation Agriculture Federation. For more information contact: Armando Martinez, Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Córdoba, Spain; tel: +34-957-760797; e-mail: conservation.agriculture@ecaf.org; Internet: http://www.ecaf.org/English/englis.htm SOUTHERN NGO SUMMIT: This summit will take place from 8-10 October 2001 in Algiers, Algeria, to prepare for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. For more information contact: Esmeralda Brown, Southern Caucus Chairperson, New York; tel: +1-212-682- 3633; fax: +1-212-682-5354; e-mail: ebrown@gbgm-umc.org FIRST UNEP/GEF GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL WATERS ASSESSMENT (GIWA) GENERAL ASSEMBLY: This General Assembly of the GIWA project will take place from 9-11 October 2001 in Kalmar, Sweden. For more information contact: GIWA Coordination Office, Kalmar; tel: +46- 480-447350; fax: +46-480-447355; Internet: http://www.giwa.net ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATICS 2001 - SYMPOSIUM ON SUSTAINABILITY IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY: The 15th International Symposium "Informatics for Environmental Protection," will be held from 10- 12 October 2001 in Zurich, Switzerland. For more information contact: Regula Fussenegger; tel: +41-71-2747-441; e-mail regula.fussenegger@empa.ch; Internet: http://www.empa.ch/deutsch/fachber/empasg/iep01/ INTELEC 2001 INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENERGY CONFERENCE: This conference will be held from 14-18 October 2001 at the Edinburgh International Conference Center, UK. For more information contact: Simon Edwards, tel: +44-20-2709-2000; e-mail: intelec@iee.org.uk SECOND WORLD WATER CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL WATER ASSOCIATION (IWA): This meeting will take place from 15-19 October 2001 in Berlin, Germany. Discussions will focus on water economics and politics and enabling efficient water management. For more information visit: http://www.iwa-berlin.de 18TH WORLD ENERGY CONGRESS: This meeting will take place from 21- 25 October 2001 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For more information contact: World Energy Council, United Kingdom; tel: +44-20-7734- 5996; fax: +44-20-7734-5926; Internet: http://www.mbendi.co.za/wec/contact.htm CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE SERVICES AND SYSTEMS: This meeting will be held from 29-30 October 2001 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For more information visit: http://www.cfsd.org.uk/events/tspd6/index.html PAN-AFRICAN BICYCLE CONFERENCE: This conference will take from 21- 25 November 2001 in Jinja, Uganda. The theme of the conference is "The Changing Role of the Bicycle in Africa." For more information contact: First African Bicycle Information Office; tel: +256-43- 121-468; e-mail: fabio@source.co.ug; Internet: http://www.jugendhilfe-ostafrika.de/e_index.htm INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FRESHWATER: This conference, hosted by the German Federal Environment Ministry and the German Federal Ministry for Development Cooperation, will be held from 3-7 December 2001 in Bonn, Germany. It will serve as preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002, and will review Chapter 18 of Agenda 21 focusing on freshwater issues. For more information contact: Angelika Wilcke, Conference Secretariat; tel: +49-228-28046-57; e-mail: info@water-2001.de; Internet: http://www.water-2001.de SECOND PREPARATORY SESSION FOR THE 2002 WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: This meeting will take place from 28 January – 8 February 2002, at UN Headquarters in New York. It will review the results of national and regional preparatory processes, examine the main policy report of the Secretary-General, and convene a Multi-stakeholder Dialogue. For more information contact: Andrey Vasilyev, DESA; tel: +1-212-963-5949; fax: +1-212- 963-4260; e-mail: vasilyev@un.org; Internet: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/; Major groups contact: Zehra Aydin-Sipos, DESA; tel: +1-212-963-8811; fax: +1-212-963-1267; e-mail: aydin@un.org CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS FOR RIVER SYSTEMS: This international working conference will take place 3-8 March 2002 in Cape Town, South Africa. The focus will be on methods, knowledge- development and policies for promoting sustainable use of river systems through managing river flows. For more information contact: Cate Brown; e-mail: cbrown@botzoo.uct.ac.za; Internet: http://www.southernwaters.co.za/ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT: The UN International Conference on Financing for Development will be held from 18-22 March 2002 in Monterrey, Mexico. It will bring together high-level representatives from governments, the United Nations, and other leading international trade, finance and development- related organizations. The Preparatory Committee is expected to meet in 2001 in New York in October/November at a date to be decided. For more information contact: Financing for Development Coordinating Secretariat, United Nations Headquarters, New York, Harris Gleckman, tel: +1-212-963-4690; e-mail: gleckman@un.org or Federica Pietracci, tel: +1-212-963-8497; e-mail: pietracci@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/ffd THIRD PREPARATORY SESSION FOR THE 2002 WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: This meeting will take place at UN Headquarters in New York from 25 March – 5 April 2002. It is expected to produce the first draft of a "review" document and elements of the future work programme of the CSD. For more information contact: Andrey Vasilyev, DESA; tel: +1-212-963-5949; fax: +1-212-963-4260; e- mail: vasilyev@un.org; Internet: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/; Major groups contact: Zehra Aydin-Sipos, DESA; tel: +1-212-963- 8811; fax: +1-212-963-1267; e-mail: aydin@un.org. EURO-SUSTAIN CONFERENCE/BROKERAGE EVENT: This event will take place from 2-5 April 2002 on the island of Rhodos, Greece. The EURO-SUSTAIN initiative focuses on technologies and actions that lead toward sustainability. For more information contact: Nicolas Moussiopoulos, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Greece; tel: +30-31-996011; Internet: http://aix.meng.auth.gr/lhtee/ and http://www3.eureka.be/Home INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S CONFERENCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT: The fourth UNEP International Children's Conference on the Environment will take place in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, from 22-24 May 2002. The conference is expected to bring together 800 children from 10 to 12 years old from over 115 countries, who will learn about and discuss the state of the environment as well as showcase environmental initiatives by schools. The conference is also expected to produce a statement from children to the world leaders who will meet in Johannesburg in 2002 for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The town of Ledyard, Connecticut, USA, is expected to host the event in 2003. For more information contact: Theodore Oben, Programme Officer, Children, Youth and Sport Programmes, UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya; tel: +254-2-623262; e-mail: theodore.oben@unep.org; Internet: http://www.unep.org/children_youth/ FOURTH PREPARATORY SESSION FOR THE 2002 WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: This meeting will take place from 27 May – 7 June 2002 in Bali, Indonesia. It will include Ministerial and Multi-stakeholder Dialogue Segments, and is expected to result in elements for a concise political document to be submitted to the 2002 Summit. For more information contact: Andrey Vasilyev, DESA, New York; tel: +1-212-963-5949; fax: +1-212-963-4260; e-mail: vasilyev@un.org; Internet: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/; Major groups contact: Zehra Aydin-Sipos, DESA; tel: +1-212-963- 8811; fax: +1-212-963-1267; e-mail: aydin@un.org WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: The World Summit on Sustainable Development will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2-11 September 2002. For more information contact: Andrey Vasilyev, DESA, New York; tel: +1-212-963-5949; fax: +1- 212-963-4260; e-mail: vasilyev@un.org; Internet: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/; Major groups contact: Zehra Aydin-Sipos, DESA; tel: +1-212-963-8811; fax: +1-212-963-1267; e-mail: aydin@un.org BIODIVERSITY 24TH SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION: This meeting will take place from 2-7 July 2001 in Geneva. For more information contact: Secretariat of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, tel:+39-06-57051; Internet: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/cac24/al01_01e.htm INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NEW BIOTECHNOLOGY FOODS AND CROPS: This meeting is being held from 10-12 July 2001 in Bangkok, Thailand. Organized by the OECD, it will focus on "Science, Safety and Society" and aims at progressing the international debate on new biotechnology. For more information visit: http://www.oecd.org/bangkok/index.htm OPEN-ENDED MEETING OF EXPERTS ON CAPACITY-BUILDING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL: This meeting is scheduled to take place in Havana, Cuba from 11-13 July 2001. An international workshop on financial support for national biosafety frameworks is scheduled for 14 July. For more information contact: CBD Secretariat, Montreal, Canada: tel: +1-514-288-2220; fax: +1- 514-288-6588; e-mail: secretariat@biodiv.org; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org WORKSHOP ON PROMOTING BEST PRACTICES FOR CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF BIODIVERSITY OF GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE IN ARID AND SEMIARID ZONES: This workshop will be held from 18-21 July 2001 in Salinas, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The workshop, which has a regional focus on Latin America and the Caribbean, is part of a GEF funded project. For more information contact: John Lemons, Department of Life Sciences, University of New England, USA; tel:+1-207-283-0170; e-mail: jlemons@mailbox.une.edu FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON BIODIVERSITY AS A SOURCE OF NEW MEDICINES: This symposium will convene from 16-19 August 2001 in Cali, Colombia. For more information contact: Ligia Pabon; tel: +57-2-330-2461; e-mail: ligpabon@univalle.edu.co; Internet: http://www.biofarmacongress.com/congresx.htm INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON "ASSEMBLING THE TREE OF LIFE": This symposium will be held from 20-22 September 2001 in New York City, US. Organized by the American Museum of Natural History and Yale University, the symposium will seek to synthesize and take stock of current knowledge about the history of life based on new phylogenetic information, with a view to making this information available to the broader public. The symposium comprises an initiative under the auspices of the International Biodiversity Observation Year. For more information send an e-mail to: tolsymposium@amnh.org SECOND MEETING OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL: This meeting will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 1-5 October 2001. For more information contact: CBD Secretariat, Montreal, Canada: tel: +1-514-288-2220; fax: +1-514- 288-6588; e-mail: secretariat@biodiv.org; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOTECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: This conference will be held from 15-17 October 2001 in Alexandria, Egypt. It is aimed at government and civil society representatives, scientists and the media, and will focus on scientific, ethical, and safety issues as well as the regulatory, intellectual property right and trade and economic issues in the biotechnology debate, and highlight a Southern perspective. For more information contact: Ismail Serageldin, Programme Committee Chair, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) Cairo office; tel: +20-2-572-4358; email: icarda-cairo@cgiar.org; Internet: http://www.egyptbiotech2001.com FIRST SESSION OF THE AD HOC OPEN-ENDED WORKING GROUP ON ACCESS AND BENEFIT-SHARING: This meeting will be held in Bonn from 22-26 October 2001. For more information contact: CBD Secretariat, Montreal, Canada: tel: +1-514-288-2220; fax: +1-514-288-6588; e-mail: secretariat@biodiv.org; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org SEVENTH MEETING OF THE CBD'S SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE: SBSTTA-7 will meet from 12-16 November 2001 in Montreal, Canada. For more information contact: CBD Secretariat, Montreal, Canada: tel: +1-514-288-2220; fax: +1- 514-288-6588; e-mail: secretariat@biodiv.org; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org WORKSHOP ON RISK MONITORING AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY: This workshop will be held from 12-16 November 2001 in Caracas, Venezuela. It will focus on biosafety and risk assessment, risk monitoring of GMOs and public perception of biotechnology. For more information contact: Efrain Salazar Yamarte, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Venezuela; tel: +58-43-471066; e-mail: efra63@hotmail.com; Internet: http://www.icgeb.trieste.it/TRAINING/CRS01/crsps01.htm PREDICTING BIODIVERSITY IN EUROPEAN LANDSCAPES - MAPPING, PATTERNS, INDICATORS, MONITORING: This workshop will take place from 18-20 November 2001 in Vienna, Austria. The meeting will examine the availability and applications of biodiversity predictors and consider their consequences for European environmental policy. For more information contact: Simone Matouch; tel: +43-1-5862-87721; fax: +43-1-5862-8779; e-mail: arge.matouch@eunet.at; Internet: http://dos1.pph.univie.ac.at/biodiv/index.html MEETING OF THE AD HOC INTERSESSIONAL WORKING GROUP ON ARTICLE 8(J) OF THE CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY: This meeting is scheduled to take place from 4-8 February 2002 in Montreal, Canada. For more information contact: CBD Secretariat, Montreal, Canada: tel: +1- 514-288-2220; fax: +1-514-288-6588; e-mail: secretariat@biodiv.org; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org SIXTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY/CARTAGENA PROTOCOL MOP-1: CBD COP-6 will take place in The Hague, the Netherlands, from 8-26 April 2002. This gathering is also expected to serve as the First Meeting of the Parties (MOP-1) to the Cartagena Protocol. For more information contact: CBD Secretariat, Montreal, Canada: tel: +1-514-288-2220; fax: +1-514-288-6588; e-mail: secretariat@biodiv.org; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT FIRst Session of the Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals: This meeting is being held from 9-11 July 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland. Subsequent meetings of the Sub-Committee are scheduled to take place on 21 September 2001, and on 19 April and 20 September in 2002. For more information visit: http://www.unece.org/trans/main/dgdb/dgsubc4/c4age.html JOINT FAO-WHO MEETING ON PESTICIDE RESIDUES: The 26th Session of the Joint Meeting of the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Residues in Food and the Environment and the WHO Expert Group on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) will take place from 10-28 September 2001, in Geneva. The 27th Session is scheduled for 20-29 September 2002 in Rome. For more information contact: Amelia Tejada, FAO; tel: +39-6-5705-4010; Internet: http://www.fao.org/waicent/FaoInfo/Agricult/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Even ts/c.htm EIGHTH PIC-INC MEETING: The eighth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Preparation of the Conference of Parties of the Rotterdam Convention for the Application of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (INC-8) will be held from 8-12 October 2001, in Rome. For more information contact: Niek van der Graaff, FAO; tel: +39-6-5705- 3441; e-mail: Niek.VanderGraaff@fao.org; or Jim Willis, UNEP Chemicals; tel: +41-22-917-8111; e-mail: chemicals@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.pic.int/ GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION ON UPDATING THE FAO CODE OF CONDUCT ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF PESTICIDES: This consultation is tentatively scheduled for October 2001 in Rome. It will consider the draft revised FAO International Code of Conduct on Distribution and Use of Pesticides. For more information contact: Niek Van der Graaff, FAO; tel: +39-6-5705-3441; e-mail: Niek.VanderGraaff@fao.org; Internet: http://www.fao.org/waicent/FaoInfo/Agricult/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/Even ts/c.htm FOURTH SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL FORUM ON CHEMICAL SAFETY (IFCS): FORUM IV is scheduled to be held in Thailand in 2003, with FORUM V taking place in Hungary in late 2005 or 2006. For more information contact: the IFCS Executive Secretary; tel: +41-22- 791-3650; e-mail: ifcs@who.ch; Internet: http://www.who.int/ifcs CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERE 2001 EUROPEAN WIND ENERGY CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION: This conference and exhibition will take place from 2-6 July 2001 in Copenhagen, Denmark. It will review progress and discuss wind energy developments in business, policy making, and research and development. For more information contact: EWEA; tel: +49-89-720- 1235; fax: +49-89-720-1291; e-mail: wip@wip-munich.de; Internet: http://www.ewea.org/src/2001ewec.htm FUEL CELL 2001 CONFERENCE: This conference will be held from 2-6 July 2001 in Lucerne, Switzerland. The conference consists of a structured technology presentation, a scientific conference and a general exhibit of fuel cell products and technologies. For more information contact: European Fuel Cell Forum; tel: +41-56-496- 7292; fax: +41-56-496-4412; e-mail: info@efcf.com; Internet: http://www.efcf.com/conferences/fc2001/ CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ECOLOGICAL DEBT: This conference will take place on 10 July 2001 in London, UK. For more information contact: Andrew Simms, Global Economy Programme; tel: +44-20-7930-3647; e-mail: andrew.simms@neweconomics.org Internet: http://www.neweconomics.org INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHALLENGES OF A CHANGING EARTH: This conference will be held in Amsterdam from 10-13 July 2001. It will examine the scientific basis needed to understand the complexities of the Kyoto Protocol and seek to define the global carbon debate within a dynamic Earth System and human context. The conference is being organized by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, together with its global change partners, the World Climate Research Programme and the International Human Dimensions Programme for Global Environmental Change. For more information contact: Susannah Eliott, International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme; tel: +46-8-1664-48; fax: +46-8-1664-05; e-mail: susannah@igbp.kva.se or igbp@congrex.nl; Internet: http://www.scionf.igbp.kva.se RESUMED COP-6/14TH SESSIONS OF THE UNFCCC SUBSIDIARY BODIES: The resumed COP-6 (as outlined under COP-6 decision FCCC/CP/2000/L.3) and the 14th sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held from 16-27 July 2001 in Bonn. For more information contact: the UNFCCC Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815-1000; fax: +49-228-815-1999; e-mail: secretariat@unfccc.int; Internet: http://www.unfccc.int 21ST SESSION OF THE OPEN-ENDED WORKING GROUP OF THE PARTIES TO THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL: This meeting is scheduled to be held from 24-26 July 2001, in Montreal, Canada. For more information contact: Ozone Secretariat; tel: +254-2-62-1234; fax: +254-2-62-3601; e-mail: ozoneinfo@unep.org; Internet: http://www.unep.org/ozone INTERNATIONAL ENERGY PROGRAMME EVALUATION CONFERENCE: This conference will be held from 21-24 August 2001 in Salt Lake City, Utah, US. Presentations will cover energy technologies and services, and relay the impacts of public and private energy programmes, and products and services targeted at industrial, commercial, residential and low-income markets. For more information contact: Mary McCarthy Hall, Conference Coordinator; tel: +1-608-835-6880; fax: +1-608-835-6881; e-mail: marymcc@tdsnet.com; Internet: http://www.iepec.org EMISSIONS MARKETING ASSOCIATION FIFTH ANNUAL FALL MEETING AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: This meeting will be held from 30 September to 2 October 2001 in South Carolina, US. Topics will include: Voluntary CO2 Commitments / GHG Trading Pilots; Perspectives On COP-7; State And Provincial Actions On Climate Change; State-Based Multipollutant Legislation; Managing Emissions Portfolio Risk Management In A Dynamic Market; SO2 and Nox Emissions Trading Trends; and Legal Issues. For more information contact: David Feldner, Emissions Marketing Association Executive Director; tel: +1-414-276-3819; e-mail: dfeldner@emissions.org; Internet: http://www.emissions.org/conferences/default.html 18TH SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) PLENARY: This meeting will be held from 24-29 September 2001, in London, UK. The purpose of the meeting is to adopt/approve the Synthesis Report. For more information contact: Renate Christ, IPCC Secretariat, tel: +41-22-730-8574; e-mail: christ_r@gateway.wmo.ch; Internet: http://www.ipcc.ch/activity/master-sch.html 13TH MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL: MOP-13 will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 15-19 October 2001. For more information contact: Ozone Secretariat; tel: +254-2-62-1234; fax: +254-2-62-3601; Internet: http://www.unep.org/ozone 17TH EUROPEAN PHOTO-VOLTAIC SOLAR ENERGY CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION: This conference will be held from 22-26 October 2001 in Munich, Germany. For more information contact: WIP; tel: +49- 89-720-1235; fax: +49-89-720-1291; e-mail: wip@wip-munich.de; Internet: http://www.wip-munich.de/conferences/pv/munich_2001/munich.html INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ARCTIC FEEDBACKS TO GLOBAL CHANGE: This symposium will be held from 25-27 October 2001 in Rovaniemi, Finland. It is being sponsored by the Nordic Arctic Research Programme and the Academy of Finland, and will feature a summary of Global Climate Model results for the Arctic. For more information contact: Peter Kuhry; tel: +358-16-341-2758; e-mail: peter.kuhry@urova.fi SEVENTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE: COP-7 is scheduled to take place from 29 October - 9 November 2001, in Marrakech, Morocco. For more information contact: the UNFCCC Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815- 1000; e-mail: secretariat@unfccc.int; Internet: http://www.unfccc.int/ SOLAR WORLD CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ENERGY SOCIETY (ISES 2001): This congress will be held from 25 November – 2 December 2001 in Adelaide, Australia. The technical programme will cover all aspects of renewable energy and energy sustainability, including research and development, industry, applications, demonstrations, education, and socio-economic and political issues. For more information contact: ISES 2001, c/o Hartley Management Group Pty, Ltd.; tel: +61-8-8363-4399; +61-8-8363-4577; e-mail: ises2001@hartleymgt.com.au; Internet: http://www.unisa.edu.au/ises2001congress/home.html INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT (MTEE-2001): This meeting will take place from 7-8 December 2001 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The symposium will address energy, environmental management and technology issues, and is a forum for information exchange among executives and professionals from industry, government, and academia. For more information contact: International Consortium for the Management and Technology of Energy, Environment and Ecology (ICEEE); tel: +1-714-898-8416; fax: +1-714-898-8416; e-mail: inquiries@iceee.org; Internet: http://www.iceee.org INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: This conference will be held from 19-21 January 2002 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The technical scope will include power generation from offshore wind, waves, current and tidal schemes. The conference will also consider future technologies, in the medium- to long-term time frame, to address the technical issues for future development of these renewable energy sources. For more information contact: A.K.M. Sadrul Islam (Secretariat), Convenor; fax: +880-2-861-3046; e-mail: sadrul@me.buet.edu DESERTIFICATION THIrd International Conference on Land Degradation: This meeting will be held from 17-21 September 2001 in Rio de Janeiro. For more information contact: Beáta Madari: tel: +55-21-274-4999; e-mail: icld3@cnps.embrapa.br; Internet: http://www.cnps.embrapa.br/ICLD/ FIFTH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE UN CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION: COP-5 is scheduled to meet from 1-12 October 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland. For more information contact: UNCCD Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815-2800; fax: +49-228-815-2898/99; e-mail: secretariat@unccd.int; Internet: http://www.unccd.int ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION: This traveling event will be held 8-20 April 2002, in Cape Town, South Africa, various rural communities, and Gobabeb, Namibia. The aim of this combined international symposium, rural community interaction and workshop is to connect community action with science and common sense. For more information contact: Mary Seely, Desert Research Foundation of Namibia, P.O. Box 20232, Windhoek, Namibia; tel: +264-61-229- 855; fax: +264-61-230-172; e-mail: mseely@drfn.org.na INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FOR DRY AREAS FOR THE SECOND MILLENNIUM: This conference will convene from 15-19 September 2002, in Shijiazhuang, China. For more information contact: Catherine Vachon, Lethbridge Research Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; tel: +1-403-317-2257; fax: +1-403-382-3156; Internet: http://res2.agr.ca/lethbridge/hebei/confindex.htm FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LAND DEGRADATION AND DESERTIFICATION: This meeting will be held in 2004 in Murcia, Spain. For more information contact: Ángel Faz Cano; e-mail: angel.fazcano@upct.es FORESTS SECOND MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON THE PROTECTION OF FORESTS IN EUROPE (MCPFE) WORKSHOP ON NFPS: This workshop will take place from 2-3 July 2001 in Lillehammer, Norway. The aim of the workshop will be to further clarify meanings and dimensions of basic principles and elements of National Forest Programmes (NFPs) and to elaborate recommendations for NPFs in the Pan-European context. For more information contact: MCPFE Liaison Unit, Vienna, Austria; tel: +43-1-710-7702; 13; e-mail: liaison.unit@lu-vienna.at; Internet: http://www.minconf-forests.net/Basic/FS-Up-coming-Meetings.html INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON MANGROVES: This meeting will take place from 10-12 July 2001 in Tokyo, Japan. For more information contact: Nobutaka Hanagata, Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology; e-mail: hanagata@bio.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Internet: http://www.bio.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/symposium TRAVELLING WORKSHOP ON LINKING THE COMPLEXITY OF FOREST CANOPIES TO ECOSYSTEMS AND LANDSCAPE FUNCTION: This workshop will be held from 11-19 July 2001 in Portland and Corvallis, US. For more information contact: Michael Ryan, US Department of Agriculture/Forest Services, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Colorado, USA; tel: +1-970-498 1012; e-mail: mryan@lamar.colostate.edu INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIETAL ASPECTS OF TRANSGENIC FOREST PLANTATIONS: This symposium will be held from 22-24 July 2001 in Stevenson, Washington State, US. For more information visit: http://www.fsl.orst.edu/tgerc/iufro2001/eco_symp_iufro.htm CONFERENCE ON TREE BIOTECHNOLOGY - THE NEXT MILLENNIUM: This meeting will take place from 22-27 July 2001 in Stevenson, US. For more information contact: Steven Strauss, Department of Forest Science, Oregon State University, USA; tel: +1-541-737-6558; e-mail: strauss@fsl.orst.edu; Internet: http://ww.cof.orst.edu/cof/extended/conferen/ CONFERENCE ON FOREST MODELING FOR ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT, FOREST CERTIFICATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT: This meeting will be held from 12-18 August 2001 in Vancouver, Canada. For more information contact: Valerie LeMay, Dept of Forest Resources Management, University of British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada; tel: +1-604-822 4770; e-mail: forestmd@interchange.ubc.ca; Internet: http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/forestmodel 17TH INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON FOREST AND NATURAL RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT: This US Department of Agriculture Forest Service seminar will be held from 26 August – 13 September 2001 in Fort Collins, Colorado, US. The focus will be on strategies and methods to develop, manage, and conserve natural resources for the sustained delivery of goods and services to meet the full range of human needs. For more information contact: Ann Keith, tel: +1-970-490-2449; e-mail: IFS@cnr.colostate.edu; Internet: http://www.fs.fed.us/global/is/isfam/welcome.htm INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON FORESTS AND FORESTRY IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: This workshop will be held from 12-14 September 2001 in Debe, Poland. It is being jointly organized by the Government of Poland, MCPFE and UN-ECE/FAO. For more information contact: Alexander Buck, MCPFE Liaison Unit, Vienna, Austria; tel: +43-1-710-77-02; e-mail: liaison.unit@lu-vienna.at; Internet: http://www.minconf-forests.net/Basic/FS-Up-coming- Meetings.html THIRD INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON REMOTE SENSING AND FOREST FIRES: This workshop will convene in Paris from 17-18 September 2001. For more information contact: Emilio Chuvieco, Department of Geography, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Hernares, Spain; e-mail: emilio.chuvieco@uah.es; Internet: http://www.geogra.alcala.es/EARSeL/EARSeL.htm FIFTH INTERNATIONAL BIOMASS CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAS: This conference will take place from 17-21 September 2001 in Orlando, Florida, US. It will examine themes such as technology development, changes in federal and state policies, initiatives to support bioenergy and bio-based product development, and new products and services from industry. For more information contact: Dee Scheaffer; tel: +1-303-275-2998; e-mail: dee_scheaffer@nrel.gov; Internet: http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/bioam/ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADVANCING COMMUNITY FORESTRY: This conference will be held from 25-28 September 2001 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The focus will be on "Innovations and Scaling up Experiences." For more information contact: Somsak Sukwong, Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC), Bangkok, Thailand; tel: 662-940-5700; fax: 662- 561-4880; e-mail: ftcsss@ku.ac.th; Internet: http://www.recoftc.org/conference2001_welcome.html WORKSHOP ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF PAN-EUROPEAN INDICATORS FOR SFM: This workshop will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 24-25 September 2001, and is being convened by the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE). For more information contact: Ewald Rametsteiner, MCPFE Liaison Unit, Vienna, Austria; tel: +43-1-710-7702; fax: +43 1-710-7702 13; e- mail: liaison.unit@lu-vienna.at; Internet: http://www.minconf-forests.net/Basic/FS-Up-coming-Meetings.html BIOENERGY 2001: This event will be held from 25-28 September 2001 in Århus, Denmark. Bioenergy 2001 includes a conference, business forum, exhibition, and plant visits. For more information contact: Danish Biomass Association; tel: +45-6550-4165; fax: +45-6550- 1091; e-mail: jhn@esb.sdu.dk CONFERENCE ON TROPICAL FORESTRY RESEARCH IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM: This meeting, entitled "Tropical Forestry Research in the New Millennium - Meeting Demands and Challenges," will be held from 1- 3 October 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For more information contact: Kenanga Simon, Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia; Internet: http://www.frim.gov.my/100years/CFFPR2001.htm INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON "FORESTRY MEETS THE PUBLIC": This meeting will be held from 8-11 October 2001 in Ruttihubelbad, Switzerland. For more information contact: Martin Buchel, Swiss Forest Agency, Berne, Switzerland; tel: +41-31-324 7783; e-mail: martin.buechel@buwal.admin.ch INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON VALUE ACCOUNTING OF FORESTRY ENVIRONMENT: This meeting will be held from 9-12 October 2001 in Beijing, China. For more information contact: Research Institute of Scientific and Technological Information on Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China; tel: +86-10-6288-8322; e-mail: yuling@isti.forestry.ac.cn; Internet: http://www.forestry.ac.cn MCPFE EXPERT LEVEL MEETING: This meeting will be held from 22-23 October 2001 in Vienna, Austria. The meeting will discuss next steps towards the Fourth Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (May/June 2003, Vienna). For more information contact: Peter Mayer, MCPFE Liaison Unit, Vienna, Austria; tel: +43-1-710-77-02; e-mail: liaison.unit@lu-vienna.at; Internet: http://www.minconf-forests.net/Basic/FS-Up-coming-Meetings.html 31ST SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER COUNCIL: This meeting will take place from 29 October - 3 November 2001, in Yokohama, Japan. For more information contact: the International Tropical Timber Organization; Yokohama, Japan; tel: +81-45-223- 1110; fax: +81-45-223-3111; e-mail: itto@itto.or.jp; Internet: http://www.itto.or.jp SECOND SESSION OF THE UNFF: UNFF-2 will take place in San José, Costa Rica, from 4-15 March 2002. For more information contact: the Secretariat, tel: +1-212-963-6208; fax: +1-212-963-3463; e- mail: vahanen@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/forests.htm XII WORLD FORESTRY CONGRESS: This meeting will take place from 21- 28 September 2003 in Québec City, Québec, , Canada. For more information visit: http://www.wfc2003.org/ HABITAT 37TH CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF CITY AND REGIONAL PLANNERS: This meeting is being held from 16-20 September 2001 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The focus of the congress is on planning in the information age. For more information contact: Congress Secretariat, The Hague, the Netherlands, tel: +31-70-3346-2654; e-mail: secretariat@isocarp.org; Internet: http://www.isocarp.org/2001/index.htm FOURTH INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON URBAN POVERTY (IFUP): This forum is being held from 16-19 October 2001 in Marrakech, Morocco. The topic of the forum is "Productive and Inclusive Cities - Towards Cities for All." For more information contact: Jean-Yves Barcelo, IFUP Secretariat, UNCHS, Nairobi, Kenya; tel:+254-262-4597; e-mail: ifup@unchs.org; Internet: http://www.unchs.org/ifup/conf/morocco1.htm CONGRESS ON NEW DIMENSIONS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT: The 25th congress of the International Network for Urban Development (INTA) is being held from 20-23 October 2001 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The meeting will focus on new information and communication technologies (NTIC) and local development. For more information contact: INTA Secretariat, The Hague, tel: +31-70-3244526; e-mail: intainfo@inta-net.org Internet: http://www.inta-aivn.org/99-menus/ContentFrameSet20.htm INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS WORLD BANK GROUP AND INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND ANNUAL MEETINGS: The annual meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund will be held from 2-4 October 2001 in Washington, DC. More information is available online at: http://www.imf.org/spring/2001/index.htm FAO GOVERNING BODIES: Sessions of the FAO Council are scheduled for 30 October – 1 November and 14 November 2001. The 31st FAO Conference is tentatively scheduled for 2-13 November 2001. For more information on specific meetings, visit: http://www.fao.org/events/index.asp GEF COUNCIL MEETING: The Global Environment Facility Council will meet from 6-7 December 2001 in Washington, DC. For more information contact: GEF Secretariat, tel: +1-202-473-0508; Internet: http://www.gefweb.org GLOBAL MINISTERIAL ENVIRONMENT FORUM: This meeting will take place from 13-15 February 2002 in Cartegena, Colombia. For more information contact: Beverly Miller, Secretary, UNEP Governing Council; tel: +254-2-62-3411; e-mail: beverly.miller@unep.org OCEANS AND COASTS 53RD ANNUAL MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION (IWC): This meeting will take place from 23-27 July 2001 in London, UK. The associated meetings of the Scientific Committee and Commission Committees and Working Groups will be held at the same venue from 2-25 July. For more information contact: IWC Secretariat, Cambridge, UK; tel: +44-1223-233971; e-mail: iwc@iwcoffice.org; Internet: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/iwcoffice/2001_meeting.htm CONFERENCE ON RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES IN THE MARINE ECOSYSTEM: This meeting will be held from 1-4 October 2001 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Sponsored by the FAO and the governments of Iceland and Norway, the conference will focus on: gathering and reviewing the best available knowledge on marine ecosystem issues; identifying means by which ecosystem considerations can be included in fisheries management; and identifying future challenges and relevant strategies. For more information contact: Grimur Valdimarsson; e-mail: grimur.valdimarsson@fao.org; Internet: http://www.refisheries2001.org/ INTERGOVERNMENTAL MEETING ON PROTECTION OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT FROM LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES: The First Intergovernmental Review Meeting on the Implementation of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) will take place in Montreal, Canada from 26-30 November 2001. For more information visit: http://www.gpa.unep.org CONFERENCE ON BENTHIC DYNAMICS: The international conference and workshop on Benthic Dynamics - In Situ Surveillance of the Sediment-Water Interface - will be held from 25-29 March 2002 in Aberdeen, Scotland. It will focus on: organism-sediment relationships; biogeochemistry and organic diagenesis; hydrodynamics at the sediment-water interface; natural and anthropogenic disturbance, and studies of spatial and temporal phenomena in disparate benthic habitats. For more information contact: Martin Solan, University of Aberdeen; tel: +44-13-587- 89631; e-mail: m.solan@abdn.ac.uk; Internet: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ecosystem/conference/ TWELFTH MEETING OF THE STATES PARTIES TO THE UN CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA: This meeting will be held from 13-24 May 2002 in New York. For more information contact: UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea; tel: +1-212-963-3968; e-mail: doalos@un.org; Internet: www.un.org/Depts/los/index.htm POPULATION WORLD FOOD SUMMIT - FIVE YEARS LATER: This meeting will be held at the UN Food and Agricultural Organization's Headquarters in Rome, Italy from 5-9 November 2001. Participants will review progress made towards the 1996 World Food Summit goal of reducing the number of hungry people by half by 2015, and consider ways to accelerate the process. For more information contact: Mieko Ikegame, Unit for Cooperation with External Partners, FAO; tel: +39-06/5705-4706; e-mail: meiko.ikegame@fao.org; Internet: http://www.fao.org/news/2001/010304-e.htm UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT: The Commission's 35th Session, to be held in 2002, will address the issue of "Reproductive rights and reproductive health, with special reference to HIV/AIDS." The 36th Session in 2003 will focus on "Population, education and development." For more information contact: Population Division; fax: +1-212-963-2147; Internet: http://www.undp.org/popin/unpopcom.htm SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT NINTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MOBILITY AND TRANSPORT FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED PEOPLE: This conference will be held from 2-5 July 2001 in Warsaw, Poland. For more information contact: Liliana Schwartz; tel: +48-22-831-6526; e-mail: schwartz@medianet.pl; Internet: http://transed2001.idn.org.pl/ WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE: This conference will be held from 31 August - 7 September 2001 in Durban, South Africa. For more information contact: Conference Secretariat, tel: +41-22-917-9290; Internet: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/racism.htm SECOND WORLD ASSEMBLY ON AGEING: This UN conference will be held in Madrid, Spain from 8-12 April 2002, 20 years after the Vienna World Assembly on Ageing. Participants will review the outcome of the first World Assembly, and adopt a revised plan of action and long-term strategy on ageing. For more information contact: Alexandre Sidorenko, UN Programme on Ageing; e-mail: sidorenko@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT SYMPOSIUM ON CRITICAL ISSUES CONFRONTING THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM: The WTO will hold an NGO symposium on 6-7 July 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland. Aimed at key stakeholders, the symposium will focus on: Agriculture; TRIPs - Access to Essential Medicines; Trade and Environment; Services; and WTO & Civil Society. There will be interactive moderated discussions. For more information contact: Bernie Kuiten, WTO External Relations, tel: +41-22-739-5676; Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/forums_e/ngo_e/ngo_symp_2001_e.htm WTO COMMITTEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES: During 2001, this committee is scheduled to meet from 10-11 July, and 31 October – 1 November. For more information contact: WTO; e-mail: enquiries@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/sps_e.htm WTO GENERAL COUNCIL: The WTO's General Council will meet several times during the remainder of 2001: 18 July, 10 October, and 12 December. For more information contact: WTO, tel: +41-22-739-5111; e-mail: enquiries@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/meets.doc WTO COUNCIL FOR TRADE-RELATED ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: During 2001, the TRIPS Council will meet from 20-21 September and 26-29 November, in Geneva. For more information contact: Peter Ungphakorn; tel: +41-22-739-5412; e-mail: peter.ungphakorn@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/trips_e.htm WTO COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT: During 2001, this committee is scheduled to meet from 3-4 October. For more information contact: WTO, tel: +41-22-739-5111; e-mail: enquiries@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/meets.doc WTO COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT: This committee is scheduled to meet on 19 October 2001. For more information contact: WTO, tel: +41-22-739-5111; e-mail: enquiries@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/meets.doc WTO FOURTH MINISTERIAL MEETING: The World Trade Organization fourth ministerial meeting will be held in Qatar from 9-13 November 2001. For more information contact: WTO, tel: +41-22-739-5111; e-mail: enquiries@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/meets.doc WTO SUB-COMMITTEE ON LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES: This sub-committee will meet from 27-28 November 2001. For more information contact: WTO, tel: +41-22-739-5111; email: enquiries@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/meets.doc WETLANDS REGIONAL AND SUB-REGIONAL MEETINGS UNDER THE RAMSAR CONVENTION: Prior to COP8 – which is currently scheduled for late 2002 - a number of preparatory regional and sub-regional meetings have been set down to take place in Africa, Asia, the Neotropics and Europe. The meeting dates range from July 2001-October 2002, and their implementation depends on the mobilization of requisite financial resources. For a full description of the proposed meeting programme including dates and venues, visit: http://www.ramsar.org/cop8_regionalmeetings_proposal1.htm ASIAN WETLAND SYMPOSIUM 2001: This meeting will be held in Penang, Malaysia, from 27-29 August 2001. For more information contact: Symposium Secretariat: Reiko Nakamua, Ramsar Center Japan; tel: +81-3-3758-7926; e-mail: ramsarcj.nakamura@nifty.ne.jp SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WETLANDS AND REMEDIATION: This conference will take place from 5-6 September 2001 in Burlington, Vermont, US. For more information contact: Carol Young, Conference Coordinator; tel: +1-614-424-7604; e-mail: youngc@battelle.org; Internet: http://www.battelle.org/environment/er/wetlandsconf/wetlandsconf/html RAMSAR CONVENTION STANDING COMMITTEE MEETINGS: The Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands will hold its 26th meeting from 3-7 December 2001 in Gland, Switzerland. Its subgroup on COP8 will meet from 6-8 May 2002, also in Gland, Switzerland. The 27th meeting will take place on 17 November, prior to COP8, in Valencia, Spain. For more information contact: Ramsar Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-999-0170; e-mail: ramsar@ramsar.org; Internet: http://www.ramsar.org/meetings.htm RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS COP8: COP8 is scheduled to convene in Valencia, Spain, from 18-26 November 2002. For more information contact: Ramsar Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-999- 0170; e-mail: ramsar@ramsar.org; Internet: http://www.ramsar.org WILDLIFE 17TH MEETING OF THE CITES ANIMALS COMMITTEE: This meeting will take place from 30 July - 3 August 2001 in Hanoi, Viet Nam. For more information contact: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Secretariat; tel: +41-22-917-8139; fax: +41-22-797-3417; e-mail: cites@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.cites.org/eng/news/AC17.shtml 11TH MEETING OF THE CITES PLANTS COMMITTEE: This meeting will take place from 3-7 September 2001 in Langwaki, Malaysia. For more information contact: CITES Secretariat; tel: +41-22-917-8139; fax: +41-22-797-3417; e-mail: cites@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.cites.org/eng/news/calendar.shtml SEVENTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON MIGRATORY SPECIES: CMS COP-7 is scheduled to take place from 1-15 September 2002 in Bonn, Germany. The Second Meeting of the Parties to the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA MOP-2) will also be held at this time. For more information on this meeting and others relating to the Convention on Migratory Species contact: CMS Secretariat, UN Premises in Bonn, Germany; tel: +49-228-815- 2401/2; Internet: http://www.wcmc.org.uk/cms/events.htm CITES COP12: This meeting will take place from 4-15 November 2002 in Santiago, Chile. For more information contact: CITES Secretariat; tel: +41-22-917-8139; e-mail: cites@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.cites.org/eng/news/calendar.shtml WOMEN MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN: The Committee's 25th Session will meet from 2-20 July 2001. The Pre-Session Working Group for the 26th Session will be held from 23-27 July 2001. Both meetings will take place in New York. For more information contact: Women's Rights Unit, DAW, Room DC2-1226, UN, New York, USA; e-mail: connorsj@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/25sess.htm WOMEN AND DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 2001: This summit will be held from 17-18 October 2001 in Washington, DC. For more information contact: Edie Fraser; tel: +1-202-463-3766; e-mail: edie@BWNi.com; Internet: http://www.bwni.com/events/summit/summit2001.html STAFF Editor: Malena Sell malena@iisd.org Assistant Editor: Prisna Nuengsigkapian prisna@iisd.org Managing Editor: Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI kimo@iisd.org Proofreader/Advisor: Chris Spence chris@iisd.org Submissions, corrections, requests for subscription information and correspondence should be sent to the editors at malena@iisd.org. The opinions expressed in /linkages/journal/ are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD and our funders. Excerpts from /linkages/journal/ may be used in other publications with appropriate academic citation. /linkages/journal/ may not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or service without specific permission from the International Institute for Sustainable Development info@iisd.ca. This limitation includes distribution via Usenet News, bulletin board systems, mailing lists, print media and broadcast. For more information, send a message to malena@iisd.org The Sustaining Donors of IISD Reporting Services publications, including Earth Negotiations Bulletin and /linkages/journal/, are The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Canada (through CIDA), the United States (through USAID), the Swiss Agency for Environment, Forests and Landscape (SAEFL), the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Commission (DG-ENV). General Support during 2001 is provided by the German Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU) and the German Federal Ministry of Development Cooperation (BMZ), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment of Norway, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment of Finland, the Government of Australia, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Ministry of Environment (through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies – IGES.)